It’s not often you come across a new artist with so much potential. After hearing his two mix CDs, we had to throw questions over to L Man. Check it out and win a Siino t-shirt!

First up, tell the people your name and how you came up with it?

I used to be called Mr Lyrics but there was already an MC called that, so my boys said to me just use L. I wanted to be original and have my own name, so L Man was born. L Man stands for Lyrical Metaphorical Artistic Natural sound. Now I use the name L Dot Man because I find a lot of people look for my music on the internet and if you type L Man into google, you just come up with a load of weird sites which I’m not even going to go into right now on a family website, so I use L Dot Man so people can find out about me easier on the internet.

Where in the UK are you from and what other local artists are you feeling?

How long have you been rapping and who are some of your big inspirations or influences?

I’ve been rapping for 5 years now. My biggest influence and inspiration is myself and my life and the road I’ve been on to get to where I am now. My mum inspires me as well and is very special to me so mum, I love you.

What music have you put out so far?

So far I’ve put out three mix tapes on the street. ‘Facts Of Life’ Volume 1 came out about 18 months ago which had the big tunes ‘Disturbed’, ‘Hannah’, ‘Other Side of Me’ and a 25 minute mix with DJ Frampsta who is N Double A’s DJ and also DJ’s worldwide for Lady Sovereign.

‘Facts Of Life’ Volume 2 came out May this year and did a lot for my career. I got more radio play from DJ’s who hadn’t heard my music before. The likes of Tim Westwood, Shortee Blitz, Rodney P and Skitz and Dan Greenpeace were all pumpin’ the tunes so it was good to have more DJ’s supporting my music on their shows and promoting it. I got more bookings and shows and had more people showing an interest in what I was doing so it was definitely a big release and I got a lot more fans from that mix tape.

Right now it’s all about the sickest mix tape on the streets right now. ‘Facts Of Life’ Volume 3. I don’t think anyone else in the UK has got the material up to the lyrical and song writing standards of this CD. Every track is a hit. L Dot Man said so!

Pigeon holes suck, but if you were a snotty journalist, what genre would you label your music?

I’m a rapper first and foremost. I write lyrics and songs. I have made my name and reputation in the grime scene but I’m not the hype MC who only has 16 bars trying to get a reload in a rave. I’m just here to write deep songs, funny songs, songs that might expand people’s imaginations, as I’m not scared to write about any topic. I call my music ‘mix breed’ because I use the grime mentality of real raw lyrics but with the hiphop element of writing it in a deep and meaningful way.

What other rappers would you say are ‘mix breed’

No one.

What projects have you got lined up at the moment?

Right now I’m featured on three videos on Channel U. ‘Hold It Down’ which is Fireworks featuring me, Narstie from my crew N Double A, J2K, Shystie, Durrty Goodz, Ronnie Redz, Hyper Fen and Marcie Phonix and Syer Barz.

This is one of the best videos to ever come out of the UK and the production standards on this video are very high. Also look out for the ‘Spun A Web’ video featuring Narstie, Shystie, Solo and Demon and ‘Rep Your Endz’ featuring Bearman and Mastermind Troopers. I’m also featured in the next serious of ‘Dubplate Dramas’ on Channel 4 so look out for that.

Are you signed to a label at the minute and are you more indy or major?

Right now I’m unsigned, broke, pissed off, but I am staying strong. All I can do is keep putting out my music independently and maintain the standards and keep my fan base growing at the rate its growing.

If a major label wants to step in and distribute my music and promote me in a bigger way then that’s all good, but I’ve put in five years of grafting by myself and it’s been a hard slog with a lot of dramas on the way but no one ever said it was gonna be easy. ya get me! Don’t think I’m a new MC on the block. I’ve been repping for years. It’s only now that people are starting to pay attention.

Ive done the hard part by myself by releasing my music up to now with no backing so the easy job now is for a label to step in with a marketing budget and then we can all make money together.

What producers are you working with right now?

Right now I’m working with the best producers in the UK. People like Fireworkz, Low Deep, Jsweet, Swiftee, Pjam and Iron Soul. I also work with people who are big on the underground street level, not just producers with the biggest name because I think there is more creativity from the producers who are hungrier, so big up people like Browser who produced ‘Clowns In The Circus’, Stimpy and Scruface, Merlin, DJ Run One who all hit me off with beats.

Are you out performing much and what are the next few live dates we can catch you at?

September/October time, I’m touring the UK with DJ Semtex from BBC 1Xtra and Faith SFX, baddest beat boxer in the UK. This is gonna be massive and we are hitting every major city in the UK to promote Semtex’s new album, ‘Grime Wave’ which I’m featured on.

I think it’s very hard for new artists to get exposure in the UK and make a living from live shows as promoters only want to book artists who they think they can make money off and will bring a crowd in, so unless you are constantly grafting to get your name out there, no one pays much attention and you end up having to do shows for free and sometimes even losing money just so you can promote your music to the fans.

But end of the day, if you are serious about your music then you have to take as many opportunities to perform live as possible as it’s a massive part of being an artist and it is good to get new fans who might not be familiar with your music.

What was it like doing a show out in Nappa recently?

Big Man…I went out and performed with DJ Cameo, Bruza and Ghetto and the Heartless Crew and we smashed the rave to pieces. It was live! Was good to get out of the UK and get paid to go to a foreign country to perform and look at topless women on the beach. It’s a hard life.

It’s always discussed, but what do you reckon on the chances that UK rap music will soon blow up?

Who knows? Only time will tell. Fans in the UK need to support our own artists more because if we don’t buy our own music then who is going to? 50 Cent will still be getting rich without dying trying, even if people from the UK don’t buy his CDs in this country but for UK Artist, we need those sales from our own fans if we are going to survive. UK we say, we spray, N Dubs every day.

What sites should people keep an eye on to be up to date with your stuff?

Check out www.myspace.com/ldotmanmusic for new tunes, live show dates and to check out my female fan base from Essex to Los Angeles to Bognor Regis!

Have you got any shout out’s or messages you wanna end this with?

My mum first and foremost, all the DJ’s playing my music, all the fans who buy my mix tape and are waiting for the album, Narstie and the whole N Double A Family, my DJ/Manager Shinobi, Vash and everyone else who know me and supports me. Too many people to mention.

COMPETITION TIME

To be in with a chance of winning a Siino Clothing ‘Who’s That White/Fat Guy?’ t-shirt, e-mail in the answer to this very simple question; What’s the name of L Man’s crew? Get your answer in by the 18th and include your size and address! COMPETITION CLOSED. WINNER: Rhyz Evans